WIETA

The first wines entitled to carry South Africa’s fully traceable new ethical seal have been announced by the Wine and Agricultural Industry Ethical Trade Association (WIETA). In what is believed to be a world-first amongst wine-producing countries, the seal, based on rigorous auditing of WIETA’s code of good conduct, provides confirmation that fair labour practices [...]

Over the past few weeks I have spent a great deal of time on labour and housing related issues which are part and parcel of the South African wine industry. Historically, part of a farm worker’s remuneration was the provision of a house by the farmer. The reasons for this are quite complex, including social [...]